Union Pacific Corporation $UNP Shares Sold by Deprince Race & Zollo Inc.

Key Points

• Deprince Race & Zollo Inc. trimmed its Union Pacific stake by 1.9% in the first quarter, selling 4,647 shares and leaving it with 234,467 shares valued at about $56.9 million.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive, with Union Pacific carrying a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $283.11. Several firms recently raised targets, including Wells Fargo to $300 and Benchmark to $300.
• Union Pacific reported solid quarterly results, posting EPS of $2.93 versus estimates of $2.86 and revenue of $6.22 billion, while also paying a quarterly dividend of $1.38 per share, or $5.52 annually.

Deprince Race & Zollo Inc. cut its stake in Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP - Free Report) by 1.9% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 234,467 shares of the railroad operator's stock after selling 4,647 shares during the period. Union Pacific makes up approximately 1.1% of Deprince Race & Zollo Inc.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 21st biggest position. Deprince Race & Zollo Inc.'s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $56,886,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in UNP. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in Union Pacific by 1.1% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 59,329,262 shares of the railroad operator's stock valued at $13,724,045,000 after purchasing an additional 659,378 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 4.3% in the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 26,330,080 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $6,090,674,000 after buying an additional 1,082,285 shares in the last quarter. Capital World Investors lifted its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 92.1% in the fourth quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 20,136,349 shares of the railroad operator's stock valued at $4,658,142,000 after buying an additional 9,655,306 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 2.0% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 15,360,668 shares of the railroad operator's stock valued at $3,552,550,000 after buying an additional 296,814 shares during the period. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted its stake in Union Pacific by 5.0% during the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 12,636,050 shares of the railroad operator's stock valued at $2,922,971,000 after buying an additional 602,647 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.38% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have commented on UNP shares. Raymond James Financial set a $310.00 price target on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Wells Fargo & Company reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and issued a $300.00 price objective (up from $260.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Robert W. Baird set a $311.00 target price on shares of Union Pacific and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, March 6th. Benchmark increased their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $275.00 to $300.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada restated an "outperform" rating and set a $289.00 target price (up from $273.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Friday, April 24th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Union Pacific currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $283.11.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Union Pacific news, EVP Kenyatta G. Rocker sold 27,387 shares of Union Pacific stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $271.76, for a total transaction of $7,442,691.12. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 61,102 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,605,079.52. The trade was a 30.95% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Eric J. Gehringer sold 2,991 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $263.96, for a total transaction of $789,504.36. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 43,012 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,353,447.52. This trade represents a 6.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders have sold 32,378 shares of company stock worth $8,781,595. Corporate insiders own 0.22% of the company's stock.

Union Pacific Price Performance

UNP stock opened at $277.79 on Thursday. Union Pacific Corporation has a one year low of $210.84 and a one year high of $279.70. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $266.41 and a two-hundred day moving average of $251.76. The firm has a market capitalization of $164.93 billion, a PE ratio of 22.88, a P/E/G ratio of 2.86 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a current ratio of 0.92, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53.

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The railroad operator reported $2.93 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.86 by $0.07. Union Pacific had a net margin of 29.20% and a return on equity of 39.58%. The business had revenue of $6.22 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.12 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.70 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts forecast that Union Pacific Corporation will post 12.55 earnings per share for the current year.

Union Pacific Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Investors of record on Friday, May 29th were paid a $1.38 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 29th. This represents a $5.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.0%. Union Pacific's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 45.47%.

Union Pacific Profile

Union Pacific Corporation NYSE: UNP is one of the largest freight railroad companies in the United States. Its principal operating subsidiary, Union Pacific Railroad, has roots that trace back to the Pacific Railway Act of 1862 and the construction of the first transcontinental rail link completed in 1869. The company is headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, and operates as a holding company for rail transportation and related services.

Union Pacific's core business is the movement of freight by rail across an extensive rail network serving the western two‑thirds of the United States.

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